Vitamin k shot

[knittingirl]

Are you going to have the vitamin k shot given to your baby, and why/why not? Am trying to make a decision but don't know a huge amount about it.

Thanks!

yes, because it recommends it on my green notes, and I don't know any reason why not? Isn't it to help clotting? or am I thinking of something else?

Vit K yes, but not the shot. DC2 will get the drops just like DD did.

All 3 of mine had vit k orally because when I was pregnant with dc1 a local hospital stopped giving it by injection after research.
Only down side is baby needs 3 doses altogether.
Think vit k is something to do with blood clotting

Yes - absolutely no brainer (it ensures blood clotting in the rare circs baby has an issue - otherwise could bleed to death, as has happened in some cases - although extremely rare) - but drops as my hospital does not give injections for it.

www.babycentre.co.uk/a551938/vitamin-k

Can someone explain why not the injection? My hospital definitely pushed the injection and I couldn't find anything that said why drops were better.

Because I didn't want one of the first things that DD felt on this earth to be pain from an injection that wasn't needed.

Yes, the hospital would push the injection as it's easier for them. However, if your birth plan states drops, no injection they have to stick to it.

Sadly my babies require early injections/blood tests anyway for other reasons. I was told they prefer the injection because some babies become ill from lack of vit k before all the oral doses can be given. Do you have to go back to the hospital for the follow up doses?

I thought the injection was generally preferred, as there was less risk of the baby missing out on a dose of drops?

DS got drops instead of injection, but only because DP is funny about needles, & drops was the compromise option. (He read a load of fucking criminally stupid woo shite before baby was born & started getting all panicky & weird about modern medicine. Without which I would be dead so little patience for that.)

As Tea&flapjacks says, it's a no brainer to give Vit K. It might be a rare complication, but can't imagine the stress of not giving it and just having the thought hanging over his first few weeks.

No, the midwife and HV do the follow up doses during home visits. I'm not worried about not having the injections. In many countries oral is standard and a lot of people don't believe that healthy babies need the Vit K in the first place. At our hospital they simply push the injections out of laziness because the oral Vit K needs to be ordered into the pharmacy and it also needs to be given on set days. Day 7 and 21 if I remember correctly.

However, if your babies are getting injections anyway, it won't make a difference and at least it's done.

Tarka - I don't know if they do the same in all areas, but the follow-up drops for DS were given by midwife on home visit, & health visitor. No need to go back to hospital.

I had drops for my first and while the hospital were ok with it the GP/midwife made such a terrific fuss about second dose (getting prescription, deciding who was going to give it and when and where) that when it came to second child and I had an angry toddler in tow as well I thought it was easier just to get it over with in hospital and gave him the jab. He seems to have got over it :) Check the procedure where you are and then decide.

my hospital favours injection and to be honest I'm of the opinion that I'd rather they have it and not need it than need it and not be given it. Plus the baby won't remember having the injection so not to worried about them having a few secs of pain.
The midwife said to me the injection is better as if the baby is sick after their feed with the drops they can't be guaranteed to have the full dose. I haven't read of any reason not to have it as opposed to having it.

I think they have some info on the 'AIMS' website about deciding whether you want it done or not

All my babies had the injection, and none of them cried from the pain, so it couldn't hurt that much. (Or maybe they were still so surprised about being born, they didn't really notice!)